FAA Private Pilot Airplane (PAR) airman knowledge test
The written test for your private pilot certificate — regulations, weather, sectional charts, navigation, weight & balance and aircraft systems in one 60-question FAA test.
About the exam
The private pilot certificate lets you fly an airplane for yourself, family and friends — the first certificate for most people learning to fly, whether for fun or on the way to an aviation career. Before your checkride you must pass the FAA's Private Pilot Airplane (PAR) knowledge test, which covers the knowledge areas of the Private Pilot ACS. You must be 17 to hold the certificate.
The test has 60 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours, each with three answer choices, and you need 70% to pass. It's taken on computer at an FAA-authorized PSI testing center with a photo ID, your FAA Tracking Number (FTN) from IACRA and an endorsement from an authorized instructor (or proof of a completed home-study course). Chart, weather and performance questions use the FAA testing supplement (FAA-CT-8080-2H) provided at the center, along with some embedded images, and you may use an approved calculator or E6B. A passing result is valid for 24 calendar months.
Our practice covers every ACS area with original questions mapped to the knowledge elements, with step-by-step worked solutions for every calculation — wind triangle and ground speed, density altitude, weight & balance and weight shift, fuel and time-speed-distance, crosswind components and load factor. Add flashcards for regulations, airspace and weather codes, worked case walkthroughs of cross-country planning, illustrated guides to systems, instruments and airspace, and timed practice tests at the real length with a score.
How we track your progress
Every blueprint domain moves through five levels as you study:
- Not startedNo questions answered in this domain yet.
- Getting startedFirst questions answered — not enough yet to judge.
- DevelopingAt least 5 answered and 50% or better on your recent questions.
- ProficientAt least 15 answered and 70% or better on your recent questions.
- Exam readyAt least 25 answered, 80% or better recently, and holding up on hard questions.
The exam blueprint
FAA-S-ACS-6C Private Pilot for Airplane Category ACS (effective May 31, 2024) — Regulations, weather, navigation, airspace, performance, systems, human factors and airport operations. Domain weights are QuizMe estimates — the FAA does not publish them. Tap a domain to see its topics.
1 Pilot Qualifications, Airworthiness and Regulations about 17% (est.) of the exam
67 practice questions in this domain so far
2 Weather Information about 17% (est.) of the exam
67 practice questions in this domain so far
3 Cross-Country Planning and Navigation about 17% (est.) of the exam
66 practice questions in this domain so far
4 National Airspace System about 13% (est.) of the exam
53 practice questions in this domain so far
5 Performance, Limitations and Weight & Balance about 15% (est.) of the exam
60 practice questions in this domain so far
6 Aircraft Systems about 8% (est.) of the exam
33 practice questions in this domain so far
7 Human Factors and Aeronautical Decision-Making about 7% (est.) of the exam
27 practice questions in this domain so far
8 Airport, Night and Emergency Operations about 7% (est.) of the exam
27 practice questions in this domain so far
What you get when you access this exam
Free with your QuizMe account.
Questions built on the ACS
Every question is original and tagged to an ACS area of operation — three choices like the real test, with described sectional excerpts, METAR/TAF text, performance tables and weight & balance problems.
Hints and worked solutions
Reveal the rule, reference or formula behind the question when you're stuck. Every answer has the full rationale, and every calculation is solved step by step.
Adaptive practice
Questions steer toward your weakest areas, weighted like the real test, and get harder as you get stronger.
Timed practice tests
Full-length tests at the real pace — 60 questions in 2 hours — with a pacing indicator, full review and a percent score against the 70% pass mark.
Flashcards, walkthroughs and guides
Flashcards for regulations, airspace minimums and weather codes, worked case walkthroughs that reason through harder questions step by step, and interactive illustrated guides you explore hotspot by hotspot.
Progress in every area
Each area moves from Not started to Exam ready, so you know exactly what to study next.
Radio & callouts drill
Hear ATIS, ground, tower, approach, CTAF and Flight Service calls, then pick the right readback, call or action — 16 scenarios with the correct transmission played back after each answer.
Test at home or at a center
Get your FAA Tracking Number (FTN) in IACRA and an endorsement from your instructor (or a home-study course completion), then schedule the PAR test with PSI.
At a PSI test center
- Schedule through PSI's FAA testing portal and pick an FAA-authorized PSI knowledge testing center near you.
- Bring a current government-issued photo ID and your FAA Tracking Number (FTN) from IACRA plus your instructor's endorsement (or a home-study course completion).
- The center provides the FAA testing supplement (the figures book), scratch paper and a pencil; phones, notes and bags are stored away.
- You may use an approved electronic calculator or flight computer (E6B) without stored aviation data — the proctor checks it before you start.
Before you book
- Remote or online testing isn't offered for the PAR test — it's taken in person at a PSI center.
- Your endorsement must come from an authorized instructor who has reviewed your ground training or home-study course and found you prepared.
- Bring your own approved calculator or E6B if you want one; check PSI's rules before test day.
- If you fail, you need additional training and a new endorsement from an authorized instructor before you retest (61.49).
Exam-day game plan
How to walk in ready — and how to pace 60 questions in 2 hours.
Pacing checkpoints
Our timed test uses the real length and time — 60 questions in 2 hours — as one block of single-answer, three-choice questions. Figures that the real test shows from the testing supplement or as embedded images are reproduced as described text, tables or simple diagrams — not the official FAA charts.
The week before
- Take one full-length timed practice test 4–7 days out, then shorter sets and rest.
- Work a few wind-triangle, density altitude and weight & balance problems each day until the steps are automatic.
- Review airspace weather minimums, VFR cruising altitudes and medical certificate durations.
- Confirm your PSI appointment, endorsement, FTN and photo ID, and check your E6B or calculator.
During the test
- For chart and table questions, read the units and the notes first — knots vs. mph, MSL vs. AGL, true vs. magnetic.
- Write down your E6B steps on scratch paper so you can check them; if your answer isn't a choice, recheck the units.
- Watch for EXCEPT and NOT — they flip what you're looking for.
- Mark hard questions, pick your best answer and come back if time allows.
- Answer every question — there's no penalty for guessing.
Keep your head
- A few nerves sharpen focus. If you freeze, take three slow breaths and reread the question.
- With three choices, ruling out one wrong answer leaves you a coin flip at worst.
- You need 42 of 60, and your examiner will review missed topics with you anyway.
After you test
- Your Airman Knowledge Test Report (AKTR) shows your percent score and the ACS codes of every topic you missed; your instructor reviews them with you, and the examiner checks them on the checkride.
- The report is valid for 24 calendar months — you must complete the practical test within that window or retake the knowledge test.
- Next comes the practical test (checkride) with an FAA examiner — an oral exam on the ACS knowledge areas and a flight test of the maneuvers.
Official sources and further reading
- Private Pilot Airplane ACS (FAA-S-ACS-6C) ↗Official areas of operation, tasks and knowledge elements.
- FAA Airman Knowledge Testing ↗Testing advisories, applicant information, sample questions and the knowledge test table.
- FAA airman knowledge testing supplements ↗The figures books (FAA-CT-8080 series) provided at the test center.
Ready to start?
400 questions and scenarios across the blueprint — and growing.
QuizMe is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FAA or PSI. All questions are original. Details are summarized from FAA sources (ACS, testing matrix, 14 CFR); rules and policies change — always confirm at faa.gov. Estimated scores are rough guides.